Constantinople remains in communion with the Russian Orthodox Church despite the severance of Eucharistic communion between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Constantinople Patriarchate, the exarchate of Russian parishes in Western Europe said.

“Dear brothers and sisters, we inform you that our bishops and exarchs who are in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate remain in full communion with the entire Orthodox Church. We also inform you that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has not severed communion with the Moscow Patriarchate and continues to pray for it in accordance with the order established in the diptych,” the exarchate said. “All Orthodox Christians can fully take part in liturgical life and church sacraments at our parishes,” the document said. The exarchate of the Constantinople Patriarchate called on all priests, deacons, monastics, and laypeople of the Russian exarchate in Western Europe to pray for the unity of the Church. Most Orthodox Christians support the decision made by the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to sever Eucharistic communion with the Constantinople Patriarchate, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said.

“The clergy also needs to work for such decisions to be supported by all people, and I now feel that an overwhelming majority of Orthodox Christians support these decisions,” Patriarch Kirill said when responding to questions from participants at the 8th All-Church Congress on Social Service, which ends in Moscow on October 12.